Improvement in leather-greasing machines



ZSheets-SheetZ. J. B. STETSON.

LEATHER-CREASING MACHINE.

No. 178,199. Patented May 30,1876.

imp 6 #610697.

QFFIQE,

JOSEPH B; STETSON, OE LINCOLN, MAINE, ASSIGNOR"OF-OLNE-HALF HIS RIGHT TOGHA'RLESW. STETSON, OF'BOSTQN, MASSACHUSETTS.

lunac -5min IN. LEAT-H ER -GR'EASiNG MACHINESL.

Specification torming par-t of hetters Patent No. 178,199, dated May 30, 1876; application filed April 29, 1876.

lbatt whom; nlt.-may;econeerm Be it known that I, JOSEPH BLSTETSON',

I of flj'incoln,Penobscot county, Maine, have'invented aMachineforiGreasingLeathenStraps,

8m, ot'twhicli the following is aispecifi'cation This lnventiou relates :to certain mechanism forr indentin-gx continuous OP'bEOkGH :1ines,=by

friction, in; leather surfaces; and lit'consists in the combination of s, a suitable frame and two i adjustable" creasing-tool's, also, in the combination 10? twoadjustable creasers with guides for: the material to-be operated. upon, and a suitable feed-wheel; also,'in theahove combi- V n'ationwith means iorr adjusting the creasers,

both laterallyandvertically'; also, in the;

mechanism for-regulating and changing the direction of 3 the 1 lines, formed '1 by the creasers and the position of the tools w-h'i 1e; forming such; lines; also, in providing the 1 creasingtools-with removabletpoints; also, in i the devices, herein described, fortconnecting the{ loose-geariwheels withthein shaft, and for varying the.;speedi'ot'i the counter-shaft with relation-l to the imai n shaft:

In the'drawingspEigurel i S'fiFSlQG VlGW" of machines Fig. 2 is El/$1311 0! top view of the same, Fig.w.3;isa longitudinal vertical central-section:thereof: Fig.- 4- is a=transverse sectionofi the counter-shaft, loose gears, and key; and Fig; 5=is:la longitudinal section; off

the same.

and alternately approaching and receding'from each other.

My invention, so-:far "as it-relates toconnectmg" the loose: geanwheelsto-their shaft, and

to the means "of varying the relative speed of shaft: and axle, isiequally applicable to other machines I in which it; is desirable to \accomplish the same results;

The frame-of my machine con sistsof a-plati form,rAl, mounteduponr two pairs-of legs, B. The table 0, over which the; work passes, is

secured to or may form wai-part of the platform, and: is cut awayat the center to permit the feed-wheel to operate upon the stock passing -over'it.- A bridge, D, spansthis aperture. ltsabutments and string-pieces form ways in :which the guidesE travel as they are moved by aldoub'leslide beneath them, which is pro.- jvidedon each side with a diagonal grooveto receive a pin proj ecting downward from each guide. A pin projecting upward from the slide through a slot, F, in the table, isifur- :nished with a check-nut, G, whichservesas a handle by which to move .the slideiand the guides, or as astop to hold them fast in any desiredposition. Thus. the guides areboth set by the same operation at: any: given distance from the center, so as to receive aistrap of" anygiven width.

The axle H of the machine is-:mountedi in the end frames, beneath theplatform, and can ions which operate the creasers. This lateral ;-movement of the gearlI is reflected by a lever, Y

J, pivoted at oneend to the under side of the platform, and working in a circumferential groove inithe hub of the wheel. By aitogglejoint connection .with this lever, the wheel 1 is moved simultaneously in. the opposite direction by a: similar lever. A spring or=-fricnon bar, K, serves to preventldisplacement of zthe lever -J.

The creasing mechanism may next be described, It iswmounted upon or within a castin g, Ii, having a-vertical play with relation to the main frame, soas tobring thetools it bearsto act uponwthe stock passing over the table. The ends of the casting L form a nearly cylindrical casin g to receive the pinion M and the other parts which have for an axis a spindle, N, fixed vertically in=the bottom of the cylindrical part of this casting, whileits central part, connecting the semi-cylindrical ends is fitted'to receive the-carriage to which the creasersare secured. Immediately above the V pinion M is an annular ring, constituting the end of the pitmanP, and within this ring is another ring, 0, with an elongated eccen trio opening in it of sufficient width :to receive mechanism.

the spindle N. This last-named ring is caused to turn with the pinion by means of a tongueand-groove connection between their surfaces, giving to the ring a lateral movement upon the pinion, limited by its eccentric opening. A wrist-pin, 0, projects upward from the ring 0 and enters an eccentric groove in the under surface of a disk, Q, and a pin rising from this disk passes through a semicircular slot in the cap It, and through a movable plate mounted therein, which serves to cover and close the slot. This pin is furnished with a check-nut, S, forming a knob by which the disk Q may be held fast to the cap or so moved as to vary the position of its eccentric groove and, consequently, change the throw or the length of stroke of the pitman. The other end of the pitman is connected to the tool-carriage T, by a loose thimble, U, slipped upon and pivoted to the end of the pitmanrod. This thimble enters the end of the toolcarriage,'and is secured to it, adjustably, by a set-screw, V, so that the carriage may beset at any desired distance from the center of the machine, and may be moved back and forth by the pitman on ways formed in the central part of the casting L.

The tool-spindleW passes downward through the carriage, bearing in its lower end the creaser X, which is, by preference, made removable, but may be formed in one with the spindle. The creasing-tool is arranged to slip between the prongs of the spindle, and is flattened, so as not to present'a point, merely, to the strap to be operated on, but so as to have a long bearing upon it, and thus get the frictional effect incident to hand-work, as heretofore practiced, the central and rear portions 'of the bearing-edge of the tool following successively in the track of the front of that edge.

As it is very desirable that the wavy lines formed by the moving creasers shall be uniform in width and general appearance, it is necessary to change the position of the tool when the direction of the line is to be changed, so that the center and rear edge of the tool shall follow the precise track of the front edge, to deepen and perfect the crease. To

effect this result I attach to the top of the tool-spindlea lever, Y, slotted receive a crankrotary cap R, upon which its hub rests, so

that the direct-ion of the horizontaLaxis of the tool is changed by the lever Y simultaneously, and to correspond with the movement of the tool-carriage effected by the cam which moves the pitman.

The vertical movement of the creasers is effected by a treadle connected with the free end of the pivoted lever a, which bears, at its center, upon a cross-bar, b, to which are secured stirrup-rods 0, depending from the ends of the casting L, which carries the creasing A few pounds pressure upon the treadlc depresses this mechanism against the resistance of an interposed spring, d, which raises it when the pressure is removed. Thus the creasers are brought to bear with any desired pressure upon the strap to be operated on. r

The feed-wheel e is loose upon the main axle, but is kept from lateral motion thereon by a pin projecting from beneath the platform;

pend onthe relative speed of the feed-wheel and the tool-operatin g mechanism. I varytheir comparative speed in the following manner: Upon the main axle, outside the frame, I fix a series of gear-wheels, h, ofvarying diameters, and made fast to the shaft, and upon the counter shaft 9 I arrange an inverse series, 2', turning freely upon the shaft, except as one or another of this series is connected to its shaft in the following manner: The end of the countershaft g, upon which the loose gears are mounted, is hollow, and a groove is cut lengthwise thereof from the central opening to the surface. A round rod, j, enters the hollow shaft, and is furnished with a key, 70, which projects through the groove into a keyway formed in each of the loose gears 13. The key is less in width than the thickness of one .of the loose gears, so that but one of them is keyed to the shaftat a time. The others turn at varying speed as they are driven by the corresponding fixed gears h, but have no power to drive thecounter-shaft g. If the outer gear of the loose series 6 is thus keyed to the shaft the motion of the shaft will be comparatively slow. To increase its speed the rod j, hearing the key It, is pressed farther into the hollow end of the shaft 9, while the machine is -in motion, and when the key comes opposite to the keyway in the adjoining gear-wheel it slips into that keyway, securing that gear to the counter-shaft, and releasing the former one. By a similar process the key is transferred to the gear next in order when greater speed is to be given to the shaft, and so on, through the series.

It is evident that, by thus gradually shifting the key from its seat within the larger of the loose gears 12 into the corresponding recess in the smaller one, a larger driving and a smaller driven wheel will be brought to act upon the shaft 9, thus increasing its speed by degrees,.

and, with it, that of the feed-wheel.

By drawing back the key through the several loose gears successively the speed is gradually decreased.

This same arrangement of shaft, key, and gear may be employed to connect or disconnect a gear-wheel with the shaft upon which it revolves. For instance, the wheels I I may be thus connected to the main axle, or disconnected from it, instead of moving laterally upon it, to throw into or out of gear, as already described.

It will thus be seen that the rapidity of the feed may be considerably varied without varying the speed of the movement of the tool-carriages and, consequently, that a greater or less amount of stock will be carried through the machine at every reciprocation of the toolcarriage, and hence that the waves of the creases formed in the leather will be longer or shorter according as the smaller or larger of the loose gears is keyed to the counter-shaft. When it is desired to form the creases in straight parallel lines the tool-carrying mechanism is thrown out of gear by sliding the gears I I laterally upon the main axle by means already described.

The speed of the counter-shaft with relation to the main shaft may be increased or diminished by sliding the key to the right or left from one of the loose wheels into another.

The construction of my machine is such that it is inconvenient to remove the tool-spindle from its place 5 and 1 therefore make the points removable from between the prongs of the spindle, where they are held securely by pins projecting from their sides and entering recesses in the lower part of the spindle, but

may be removed, if desired.

In place of the friction-tools generally used I sometimes insert stitch wheels or rotary tools having a notched surface, which will produce upon the leather broken lines or successive indentations, in imitation of stitchmg. l v

The relative position of the levers y y and 2. The combination, in a creasing-machine,

of a feed-wheel and two adjustable guides, with a reciprocating creasing mechanism provided with means of adjustment, both laterally and vertically, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

3. The combination of the reciprocating mechanism, the devices for partially rotating the tool-spindle and the pressure mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The creasing-tools herein described, provided with removable points, and constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The slotted hollow shaft 9, in combination with the sliding rod j and key it, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A series of driving-wheels of varying sizes, fixed upon a common shaft, in combination with, and giving motion to, an inverse corresponding series loosely mounted and turning at difi'erent speeds upon a slotted hollow shaft, within which a rod and key are inserted, adapted to secure to the shaft at any time one wheel only of the loose series, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOSEPH B. STETSON. Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER, O. W, STETsoN. 

